Chapter 120
Our Violets have realized that silence can hold weight.
“Oh, I made a mistake.”
After a short sigh and a cough, everyone’s eyes were fixed on me. The makeshift presentation area was thick with silence. If we could measure silence, the amount would be enough to crush the Violets.
As I explained what I specifically intended to do, everyone on site became as immobile as stone. Perhaps our declaration was that shocking.
Even Daphne, who was in the laptop on one side of the presentation area, seemed frozen in shock. We scratched our heads. It felt like our bold plan had taken flight only to come to an abrupt halt in mid-air. The death list we had brought up earlier was still flaunting its existence on the screen behind us.
Suddenly, the calm was shattered.
“Ah… um? I can’t be hearing this wrong, right? You’re saying you’re going to kill them all?”
Irene, who had been staring at the death list, broke the silence. Then, like a dam bursting, people began to raise their voices.
“T-This crazy terrorist kid…! You’re definitely part of a secret organization! Which one are you from? Tell me right now!”
Lucian was the first to jump up and shout.
“Hey! Are you out of your mind? Are you planning on committing a massacre?”
“Eh?!”
Kalia, who had been in shock, snapped back to her senses and grabbed the nearby Violet 1, shaking her back and forth.
-Violet, what are you talking about! Something must be seriously wrong after that research lab experience. You need to go to a hospital for a consultation. Right now!
-No! I’m perfectly fine!
On the other side of the monitor, Daphne in the dormitory was glancing between the Violet and the camera, shaking wildly, while the Fifth Clone swayed like a reed. Levi quietly observed us, shrinking away, and Granite stood still like a marble statue.
“Um, excuse me, Miss Violet? No, what should I even call you?”
Teacher Yurik rose, trembling.
“Unit 1!”
“Unit 1, can I ask you one thing? What’s the basis for that list?”
I responded.
“Everyone who directly participated in the secret human experiments and various inhumane acts involved with the Polaris Academy Board of Directors.”
“So that means all the researchers in that facility?”
I nodded. Suddenly, Yurik’s face turned pale. He slumped weakly into his seat. I looked at him, and he was muttering something to himself.
“Ah… ah… then, if I hadn’t been captured here…”
Only then did I understand Yurik’s emotions. It seemed he had contemplated the possibility of being on that list too. Although it was a hypothetical situation, if he had been there conducting research, his name could very well be on it.
However, the atmosphere was sheer chaos. It was inappropriate to clarify the misunderstandings people had about the Violets and let them know the truth.
Most importantly, we Violets are not emotionless killing machine terrorists! It is essential to correct people’s misunderstandings. I tapped the microphone in front of me.
“Hey, can you listen to me…”
As the dull noise from the speaker rang out a few times, everyone ceased their talks and focused on me.
“First of all, that list is still incomplete. We’re in the process of investigating. Most of the names on it include people like the academy’s cleaning lady or the dormitory supervisor, even the parking attendants. There’s no reason to kill people like that, right?”
Irene glanced at me with sharp eyes. Her golden gaze had a predatory fierceness to it today.
“So, you’re saying the actual death list will be much smaller than that? Right?”
I clapped my hands in joy. Finally, someone understood!
“Exactly! We can just drop a zero off the number of those listed.”
Considering the total was in the hundreds, the actual number would probably be in the tens.
“I get that those Polaris Academy folks are insane. And the clan kids too. Those clan people are trash to begin with. But why assassination?”
Next, Kalia asked. Irene seemed curious, and Daphne on the monitor nodded, her eyes wide, as if to say ‘What?’
“Hey, Kalia. It’s not just assassination.”
“What else then…”
“We’re going to blow things up too. Boom!”
Kalia, hearing my words, got angry.
“Come on… Seriously! That’s not the important part! If what you’re saying is true, your opponents aren’t just some academy punks. The Four Major Clans are behind this!”
Kalia, who had been fuming, suddenly looked drained of energy.
“A single individual can’t defeat a clan… I’ve seen it myself. No matter how hard you fight, even if you have reason and truth on your side, it doesn’t matter. Why are you going through with this? Why…”
Irene joined in with a calm tone of support.
“So, you’re Kalia, huh? I agree with what you said. Violet, do you know what you’re doing? You’re trying to wage war against a massive clan!”
“Exactly.”
“What?”
“Yeah, we’re going to wage war! We’ll crush anyone who stands in our way and kill them all.”
Lucian, sounding exasperated, muttered.
“No, how can there be such a crazy kid…”
I took a deep breath and changed the screen. Until now, I had been ranting, but it was time to get serious.
Information about the scale and corporate structure of the Magnavis Clan appeared on the screen. All eyes were glued to the graphic material.
“Can you see well? This is the power structure of those guys, called the Magnavis Clan or Magnavis Group. I know nothing about finance or the economy, but I can tell it’s huge! They’re a massive organization that stretches from bounty hunter activities to finance, military, ether industry, and pharmaceuticals. They burn through billions of credits like it’s nothing.”
As I changed the screen again, countless companies, research facilities, and sub-clans spread like spider webs beneath the Magnavis logo.
Some lines connected to media companies, others to the Federal logo, and yet more to institutions in the Academy City.
“They donate considerable political funds to the Federal Parliament, and they hold significant stakes in the media companies of Academy City. Rumor has it that the bigger clans are experts at online opinion manipulation. These guys will be even worse, right? They’re committing such heinous acts, and thinking reporting them will halt them is pure fantasy. It’s something that Irene has already experienced.”
Looking at Irene, she appeared grim as if recalling some old incident.
“Was it what happened during the entrance ceremony? Everyone went silent. But do you think they would listen if I reported a suspicious underground research facility beneath the academy? Not at all!”
I switched the screen again. It displayed a photo of the Gate in the Chloris Great Forest taken recently. The area was sealed off by barriers and barbed wire, with heavily armed Magnavis Vanguard agents stationed around.
“The massacre that happened in there? The school just handled it as a simple accident and listed them as missing.”
Kalia and Yurik, who heard this for the first time today, opened their eyes wide, and Lucian and his group’s expressions darkened.
“So, our Violets thought about this. Against a powerful organization skilled in manipulation and control, how can we inform people of the truth?”
I tilted my head for a moment and shouted loudly.
“The method is simple. Just keep them from focusing on anything else! Media manipulation and political lobbying are only possible when you have the luxury of time.”
I raised my voice higher.
“First, we’re going to take down the Polaris Academy folks. The research facility has to be demolished for sure. We’ll handle any suspicious faculty, including the headmaster and the teachers in league with him! The Student Council President and their group too! The Chairman is another force; that person seems way too strong.”
The surrounding Violets raised their fists into the air.
“We’ll take care of it! We’ll take care of it! We’ll take care of it!”
“We’ll break the company and ruin their business. Kalia, remember when you burned the server room when you left the lab?”
“Huh? Oh, right…”
“We’re going to do it just like that again. We’ll burn it down, blow it up! If we cut off their limbs, they’ll be powerless to resist. Plus, we can get the attention of other forces too.”
“We’ll burn! We’ll smash! We’ll blow it up!”
The Violets shouted out once more, swinging their fists.
Even from the start of planning, the Violets were troubled.
“How can we get the Inspection Bureau to take action and involve the Federal?”
In theory, there are nearly no organizations that can stand up to the Four Major Clans on the planet Tryst. Among them, the only clear opponent to the clans is the planetary world government, the Federal.
When chaos erupts in Academy City, the Inspection Bureau gets involved. The human tactical weapons that returned from the future storm in. If the Seijis I know is indeed correct, they will certainly take action at the sight of this terror and report. The Scholarship Officer, who cannot endure injustice, will surely act actively. And the Federal will also get involved. They might even bring in an aircraft carrier fleet.
As focus is drawn, a clan that got struck from behind with a hammer lies incapacitated, and a report is lifted.
The risk of my identity being revealed will increase, but I’ll have to take that into consideration.
This reckless act is insane, but it’s worth it!
“Violet, I understand what you’re thinking.”
As I finished speaking, Irene, who had been listening calmly, opened her mouth.
“But you know, it sounds grand, but it’s just… terrorism. Regardless of its success or failure, you’ll be treated as a terrorist. Like the Obsidian Legion.”
I shook my head vigorously.
“Thanks for worrying. But I’m ready for that level. And Irene! I’m not a terrorist.”
Lucian chimed in.
“Everything you say is nonsense. And you haven’t answered my actual question. So which secret organization do you belong to?”
Ah, I haven’t clarified yet.
“The Violets belong to the Violets. I’m not part of anyone! I act solely for myself. As for a secret organization… I’ll just create one from now on.”
“What?”
“I’ll call it the Violet Organization! Ariel Group! That sounds good.”
Irene sighed. Lucian pressed further.
“Everything is fine and dandy. But does it not sound ridiculous that you’re not a terrorist when what you’re proposing is terrorism?”
“That’s such an evil way to put it.”
Violet is an enthusiastic existence. So there must be a cooler term.
“Well, how about calling it a ‘revolution’?”
I thought of the greatest bald revolutionary from a world that has now vanished.
The revolutionary with a beret from the Caribbean crossed my mind too. Their ideologies might not suit our tastes, but as role models, they are the best!
Before my friends could say anything further, I snapped my fingers.
“…!”
The shutters that had been closed on one side of the Violet Barracks rose up. The sound of marching boots echoed through the building as external light filtered in.
Two heavily armed Violet Squads marched in. It was the first time even our hibernating bodies had awakened and started moving. I could feel the agitation among the people.
It didn’t matter. To ease my friends’ worries, we need to show our true strength.
“It’s reckless and extreme, but everything is for truth and freedom! We are meticulously preparing for that day and the plan, so don’t worry!”
“What day? Plan?”
Someone asked. Was it Kalia?
“I even thought of a name! What’s it called…”
After a brief pause, I mulled over the word. This was the first time I felt a sweet taste in my speech.
“…Operation Witch’s Hammer.”
I stood in front of the presentation area, spreading my arms wide.
“For revolution. Are you willing to join?”